ILLUSTRATIONS OF INDIAN BOTANY. 163 
GeoerapnicaL Distrisution. The members of this order are all natives of the — 
and are met with in Asia, Africa and America, but no where numerous. In India they have ’ 
wide range, extending from the southern extremity of Ceylon and the Peninsula, up to Silhet. 
n Malabar, towards the extreme south two or three species are very abundant. In other 
parts of the continent, I have visited, they are comparatively unknown. 
Prorvertizs AND Usrs. I am not aware of any uses to which these plants have been 
applied, some of them form handsome flowering shrubs and are not less interesting in appear- 
ance when in fruit than when in flower, the numerous bright-red capsules contrasting favour- 
ably with the deep green of the leaves long after the flowers have disappeared. Under cultivation, 
they might succeed here, and would form a showy addition to the ornamental shrubbery. 
Remarks oN Genera AND Species. The Peninsular flora only presents us with two genera 
of this order, Connarus and Rouria. These are most easily distinguished by the ovary,which 
in the former is solitary, and |-celled ; while in the latter, there are 4 or 5, each having its own 
style and stigma. In the character of the flowers Rouria and Cnestis are very closely allied, 
each having five ovaries, but the latter has albuminous seed, which is wanting in the former. 
Adopting these simple distinctions the perplexity existing among the genera and species of this 
order is at once removed, by the reduction of the heteromorphous genus Omphalobium, at pre- 
sent made up of species taken roe each of these, and the restoration of Aublet’s prior genus, 
The certain genera of this order then amount to three, Connarus, Rouria, and Cnestis, species 
of each of which are found in India 
EXPLANATION OF PLATE 63. 
1, Connarus ice once size. 7. A mature capsule. 
2. A flower showing the sepals and petals. 8, The same opened to show the seed in situ. 
The same, hee sepals and petals teenyed to show 9. The seed divided longitudinally, showing the 
the ovary and sen ens. radicle jr or at the opposite end of the seed 
4, Anthers back and fron from the hi 
vary caf ‘vertically, = Mac the lateral insertion 10. A bed eit transversely. 
of the ovules ll. A seed lobe, the | sell removed, 
transversely, showing the ovules paired 
and collateral. 
6 
eer ee OP RA LLESD. 
This is a small order of tropical plants a which the Indian Hn ager only presents two 
species, but referable to different genera, both mere weeds, In a however, some o 
species, among which is the Guaiacum or Lignum vite, attain a ponies size and afford very fine 
close-grained timber. The absence or presence of albumen in the seed seems in this order to 
be of small account, since in our two genera one ( Fagonia ) has it, and the other ( Tribulus us ) 
is without. 
«“ Flowers bisexual, i an Calyx 4-5 divided. Petals unguiculate, alternate with the 
sepals: ewstivation usually convolute. Stamens twice as many as the petals, hypogynous: ae 
ments distinct, dilated at the hae, and usually arising a from the back of a seale: anthe 
2- celled, opening a Ea Ovariom sgoactay more or less os S ferences, 4-5 an: ovules 
Albumen between fleshy and horny, rarely 0. Areal green : ‘radicle sepetior : cotyledons 
foliaceous.— Leaves opposite, stipuled, not dotted, rarely simple.” 
Arrinttizs. Most Botanists agree in considering them nearly allied to Rutacee, from 
which oer they are readily distinguished by the want of pellucid dots in the leaves, which 3 
are always present in the other. They are also allied to Oxalidee between which alg 
DeCandolle places them, separating them from the latter by their single not several styles, by 
their stipulate opposite oper) and by their seed not having anarillus, This last mark is er less : 
J 
